on our broadcast tonight, breaking news. a wild shootout in southern california. police exchange fire with the sniper who has been terrorizing l.a. officers have been shot. the suspect surrounded. we'll go there live. jobs and guns. what we've learned about a push the president is about to make here in washington on two big issues tonight, as the white house reacts to a provocative nuclear threat from north korea. the nightmare at sea for thousands of passengers stranded on a cruise ship, dead in the water and it's getting ugly on board.

and the never-before-seen love letters between a future president and future first lady and a marriage proposal on just their second date. nightly news begins now. good evening. we are here on capitol hill in washington, prior to the president's state of the union address tonight, but the news at this hour is on the other coast. it's centered on a cabin in the san bernadino mountains in california, where police have exchanged gunfire with someone believed to be christopher dorner, the ex-cop, the military veteran-turned-sniper who has quite literally terrorized so much of southern california for so many days. it's where we want to begin the broadcast tonight, a changeable situation still under way. nbc's miguel almaguer in los angeles starts us off. miguel, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. it all started this afternoon. the sheriff's department says they received phone call of a

reported car and someone who matched christopher dorner's description. a short time later, in the woods, they found that car and their suspect. tonight, multiple law enforcement sources tell nbc news it is christopher dorner. shots fired three hours east of los angeles. >> we have the suspect holed up in a cabin. >> reporter: in the mountains of big bear, the manhunt for fugitive christopher dorner comes to an end. >> we hope we can take this guy into custody and we hope that he doesn't hurt anybody else. >> reporter: inside a cabin, the sheriff says the former police officer and accused cop killer barricades himself inside a home. >> stand by. you got three more coming your way. >> reporter: almost immediately, an exchange of gunfire. >> he has got a rifle. >> reporter: with the s.w.a.t. team on scene, two officers are wounded and are airlifted to a local hospital. >> enough is enough. it's time to turn yourself in. it's time to stop the bloodshed. it's time to let this event and let this incident be over. >> reporter: police say dorner's murder spree began nine days ago. the bodies of monica quan and keith lawrence were discovered

in a parking lot, a revenge killing, say detectives. quan is the daughter of a former police captain. >> suspect vehicle is still outstanding. it's a black nissan titan. >> reporter: last thursday, with the manhunt for dorner under way, police say he opened fire on two lapd police officers. one was grazed in the head. >> officer shot multiple times. >> reporter: a short time later, detectives say dorner opened fire on two riverside police officers. 34-year-old mike crain was killed. with no sign of dorner in the city, officers in big bear discovered his burnt-out truck with a cache of weapons inside. >> police department. >> reporter: for the last six days, officers have cleared cabins and combed through the forest. today, they finally found their man. there were reports earlier today there may have been a hostage situation inside one of those cabins. lapd tonight says that report is unconfirmed. one of those two officers shot

earlier today has died, the lapd confirm confirmed. brian? >> miguel almaguer starting our reporting in los angeles tonight. miguel, thanks. now, let's go to the scene. our friend, chuck henry, has been angering much of the coverage for local station knbc all afternoon long. he is with us from big bear via the telephone. chuck, what's it like there? >> brian, you would be interested to know, this cabin, much like the kind you would find at any ski resort, it is split level, is less than two football fields. in fact, i would estimate a football field and a half from where the police had set up their command post at a ski resort. right now, they are evacuating the people on the ski resort. there are a lot of anxious parents trying to get their kids who came up here to snowboard today and they can't get to them. san bernadino sheriffs have really cordoned off this area. sheriffs are in the home right now, going through it. as i say, it would look like a typical ski resort, like a chalet would you find at most any resort. we just received late word that down on highway 39, one of three

ways in and out of big bear that there was a second shooting involving officers and we understand that one, possibly two officers, have been hit. brian? >> chuck henry reporting from big bear tonight. obviously, a changeable situation that could go into the night. chuck, thanks. with us from our new york studios is william bratton, former chief of the los angeles police department. and chief, i'm curious, first off, how do you think this ends? >> well, certainly, law enforcement is hoping he will surrender without any further loss of life or injured officers or injured suspect. at the same time, i understand the reports are that he is actively engaging in gunfire with the officers surrounding the cabin where he is located. so, let us hope for the best, that it ends with his surrender. at the same time, he is somewhat in control of that situation. >> you're, of course, now indelibly linked with this guy because of the photo of the two of you, though you have said in repeated interviews that you

have your photo taken with hundreds of officers for various events when you ran lapd over the course of the years. you know, looking at this, i guess i've learned that a motivated, determined and trained person, one individual, can really terrorize an entire region. what have you learned from this when it's all over? >> well, actually, several years ago, we had two individuals who had no training totally terrorize the washington east coast region, the sniper incident there. this case, we have an individual, highly trained police officer, nobody trains better than the lapd, and also the crosstraining with the military. it is frightening from the standpoint that this is a domestic terrorist and we always have the fear of international terrorism and these type of lone wolf activities. this one has been certainly historic in the sense and unprecedented in its scale and its nature. >> this has been a disturbing case for you to watch, as it has everybody else.

chief bill bratton, thank you very much for coming on the air with us tonight from new york. all of this, of course, going on, here we are in washington on capitol hill, as the president is getting ready to deliver the state of the union address tonight. our political director, chief white house correspondent chuck todd, across town at the white house with a preview. chuck, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. you know, as you know, historically, second-term and second-term presidents, their domestic goals have a shelf life of about 18 months. the white house is well aware of this and they want to use this state of the union tonight to not just talk about those goals but to try to convince congress to do big things and to do them now. >> mr. president, what's the theme? >> we will find out tonight. >> reporter: the president tight-lipped today but the lion's share of tonight's state of the union address will focus on the economy and job creation, echoing themes from the campaign. >> this is a real, achievable plan that will lead to new jobs and more opportunity and rebuild this economy on a stronger foundation.

>> reporter: and while he will unveil new proposals, aides say he intends to stay with this familiar message that won him a second term. >> this president has had a consistent economic theory about how we improve our economy. it's by growing the middle class and strengthening the middle class. >> reporter: the president's call for more spending, coupled with debt reduction that includes more taxes, continues to be a nonstarter with republicans, as speaker john boehner told "today's" matt lauer. >> i think the president is out of ideas when it comes to how to fix the economy because everything he seems to he wants to do is more tax hikes and stimulus venue. >> reporter: there will be more foreign policy in tonight's speech, including an announcement that 34,000 u.s. soldiers will be coming home from afghanistan in the next year. while reducing gun violence will only be a small part of the president's speech, it's a big part of tonight's atmospherics. watching from the balcony will be several families from the tragic newtown school shooting,

the parent of hadiya pendleton, a teenager who was shot and killed in chicago last month. and gabrielle giffords in this new anti-violence gun ad. >> take it from me, congress must act. let's get this done. >> reporter: senator marco rubio was chosen to deliver the republican response in both english and spanish. sitting in the audience tonight, of course, will be the president's cabinet. a lot of the new choices will not be there like the defense -- the person up for defense secretary, chuck hagel, but chuck hagel is a step closer tonight, brian. he got through a key committee and there might be a full vote on his confirmation by as early as thursday. >> chuck todd, we'll see more of you later tonight. thanks. and let's bring in the rest of our team, joined by three former nbc news white house correspondents here in the studio, david gregory, andrea mitchell and savannah guthrie. not an attempt to make anybody feel old. david, we will start with you. what are you looking for tonight? >> this is ultimately about the economy. economic restoration is really

what the president those focus on in a second term. he has got an opportunity here on guns. you will see a big show of that tonight. on immigration, he can work with republicans but there is bedrock opposition. i spent time with the house speaker today. these two sides are so far apart on taxes and spending. they don't see a way really to get together. i think it's going to be tough speech from that point of view and i think republicans are only gonna dig in. >> savannah, atmospherics going into tonight. every year is different. this year more different from the others. >> there's all this emotional weight because of the attendees, coordinated effort to have victims of gun violence there in the hall, at a moment went president is trying to push this -- these gun initiatives. and the calendar is the enemy for him on that because the farther we get away from something like newtown, the harder it is for him to accomplish his objectives. i think he is trying to seize the moment on many different levels. the political calendar, for sure, hints of compromise on things like guns and immigration, but also, this is a president who is enjoying somewhat of a second honeymoon in terms of the approval ratings and also looks at the republican party as deeply fractured, weak and vulnerable and he wants to seize on that.

>> and now to our chief foreign affairs correspondent. last night, a bulletin went out, andrea, that a 4.9 to 5.1 artificial earthquake had been detected in north korea. quickly, we knew it was a nuclear test. that's on the radar for the president. >> it's on the radar front and sent for him, because, first of all, it was much bigger than previous tests, it was the first under this new, young, korean leader, kim jong un, and potentially, they claim at least, set off by a miniaturized device, which could indicate they have made big progress on getting a small weapon on top of a missile. they just did a rocket test in december. and the problem, the threat would be are they advancing to the point where they could potentially reach the continental united states with perhaps a lucky shot? >> all right, andrea mitchell, thanks. and we are going to somehow find room for chuck todd tonight, but we will scrunch together. we will see all of you later on. and stay with us here on nbc, of course. full coverage of the state of

the union address beginning 9 eastern here on this nbc station. to another front, we are learning more tonight about the weeks and months that have led up to the pope's surprise resignation, a closely held secret that was apparently planned for quite some time. we are also getting new details about how this transition will work involving, after all, the abdication of a living former pope, something the church hasn't experienced since the middle ages. nbc's anne thompson has made her way to the vatican tonight. anne, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. first, some news about the pope's health. we learned today that three months ago, the pope underwent surgery to replace a battery in his pacemaker. the vatican officials say that pacemaker was inserted into the pope's heart before he became the pontiff. i asked a vatican spokesperson if that surgery had anything to do with the pope's decision to step down. he said no, that decision was

made almost a year ago after the pope returned from his visit to cuba and mexico. now, since the shock of the decision has worn off, people here at the vatican are beginning to see the clues they missed to monday's stunning announcement. for example, why is there all this construction work going on at a monastery here at the vatican and who is going to live there? the answer is that is where pope benedict is going to make his retirement home. tomorrow, the pope will hold his weekly audience, and then later in the day, he will preside over ash wednesday mass, marking the beginning of lent. that mass was supposed to be held in a small church in rome. it's been move here to st. peter's basilica to accommodate the thousands who are expected to attend what could well be the pope's last public mass. brian? >> all those pieces and clues now apparent. it will be an interesting 16 days ahead. anne thompson in vatican city, thanks. still ahead as we continue on a busy tuesday night, the cruise ship nightmare in the gulf of mexico. an increasingly ugly scene on board.

five working toilets, 3,000 people. that's just the start of it. board. five working toilets, 3,000 people. that's just the start of it. dia. when i first felt the diabetic nerve pain, of course, i had no idea what it was. i felt like my feet were going to sleep. it progressed from there to burning like i was walking on hot coals to like a thousand bees that were just stinging my feet. i have a great relationship with my doctor. he found lyrica for me. [ female announcer ] it's known that diabetes damages nerves. lyrica is fda approved to treat diabetic nerve pain. cruise ship nightmare in the i, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, changes in eye sight including blurry vision, gulf of mexico. muscle pain with fever, tired feeling, or skin sores from diabetes. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, and swelling of hands, legs, and feet.

don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who've had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. having less pain... it's a wonderful feeling. [ female announcer ] ask your doctor about lyrica today. it's specific treatment for diabetic nerve pain. to hear more of phyllis's story, visit lyrica.com. [ male announcer ] the rhythm of life. [ whistle blowing ] where do you hear that beat? campbell's healthy request soup lets you hear it... in your heart. [ basketball bouncing ] heart healthy. great taste. mmm... [ male announcer ] sounds good. it's amazing what soup can do. [see lioutdoors, or in.ight.od. transitions® lenses automatically filter just the right amount of light. so you see everything the way it's meant to be seen. maybe even a little better. visit your eyecare professional today to ask about our newest lenses, transitions vantage and transitions xtractive lenses.

experience life well lit. ask which transitions adaptive lens is best for you. w about some of the 4200 we are back now with some of the horror stories we are hearing, the stories emerging about some of the 4200 passengers and crew on board the carnival cruise ship "triumph." it all started when the ship caught fire, lost power sunday night, setting off an awful chain of events on board, including sweltering temperatures and a shortage of food, bathroom facilities, all while being slowly towed into port in mobile, alabama. our report tonight from nbc's janet shamlian. >> reporter: it's a long, slow ride, as tugboats drag the disabled carnival cruise ship "triumph" to mobile and with five working toilets for some 3,000 passengers, it's a pretty miserable ride. donna gutsman is on board. >> the worst part is the

bathrooms. there's no water. you can't really flush. so, everyone's going in little plastic baggies and putting it outside their rooms. >> reporter: passengers say the stench is inescapable. there's no air conditioning on board. many with interior cabins have dragged mattresses to various parts of the ship to find fresh air. shelia and jerry cox were able to phone their daughter, lindsey. >> they are sleeping on the deck on lounge chairs and the boat is just rocking back and forth because there's no stabilization. >> reporter: food service is limited. onion sandwiches were reportedly on the menu today and the wait for something to eat can last up to three hours. marissa morrell's mother is celebrating her birthday on the ship. >> people were starting to get very frustrated is what she was saying. you know, it's a very panicky situation. >> reporter: "triumph" has been dead in the water and drifting north since an engine room fire sunday. plans to tow it to mexico were scrapped when the ship drifted too far north. now being towed to alabama at just six knots, it will be late wednesday or even thursday before passengers are finally

able to get off. when they do, there's still the trip home or back to the port in texas. carnival says it's sorry for the inconvenience, offering passengers a full refund and a future cruise. janet shamlian, nbc news, mobile. on wall street today in new york, mixed finish overall with the dow up 47 points. nasdaq down 5 and the s & p 500 up 2. but the dow managed to close at its highest level in five years. it's just 1% away now from its all-time high setback in october of '07. we are back in a moment with what doctors are now saying about pregnant women and reducing the risk of autism. [ male announcer ] this is bob, a regular guy with an irregular heartbeat. the usual, bob? not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib: atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. i don't think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested.

but not anymore. bob's doctor recommended a different option: what doctors are now saying h ab not caused by a heart valve problem, that doesn't require routine blood monitoring. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce the risk of an afib-related stroke. there is limited data on how these drugs compare when warfarin is well managed. no routine blood monitoring means bob can spend his extra time however he likes. new zealand! xarelto® is just one pill a day, taken with the evening meal. and with no dietary restrictions, bob can eat the healthy foods he likes. do not stop taking xarelto® rivaroxaban without talking to the doctor who prescribes it for you. stopping may increase your risk of having a stroke. get medical help right away if you develop any signs or symptoms of bleeding, like unusual bruising or tingling. you may have a higher risk of bleeding if you take xarelto® with aspirin products, nsaids or blood thinners.

talk to your doctor before taking xarelto® if you currently have abnormal bleeding. xarelto® can cause bleeding, which can be serious, and rarely may lead to death. you are likely to bruise more easily on xarelto®, and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. tell your doctors you are taking xarelto® before any planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions, such as kidney, liver or bleeding problems. ready to change your routine? ask your doctor about once-a-day xarelto®. for more information including cost support options, call 1-888-xarelto or visit goxarelto.com. but they haven't experienced extra strength bayer advanced aspirin. in fact, in a recent survey, 95% of people who tried it agreed that it relieved their headache fast. visit fastreliefchallenge.com today for a special trial offer. [ coughs ] [ baby crying ] ♪ [ male announcer ] robitussin® liquid formula

soothes your throat on contact and the active ingredient relieves your cough. robitussin®. don't suffer the coughequences™. there is a high-interest story in health news tonight t has to do with folic acid, specifically, a new study found that women who take folic acid supplements around the time they become pregnant may be 40% less

likely to have children with there is a high-interest story in health news tonight. it has to do with folic acid, specifically, a new study found that women who take folic acid supplements around the time they become pregnant may be 40% less likely to have children with autism. the crucial period for the folic acid consumption is apparently a month prior to conception and the first two months of pregnancy, a critical period for brain development. our company is in the news tonight. comcast, the majority owners of nbc universal, have announced they are buying out ge's remaining share of 49% of the company, in addition to buying outright the ge real estate at our iconic 30 rock headquarters building in midtown manhattan. it's a big deal financially, $18.1 billion in all. it will end 27 years of either full or partial ge ownership of nbc. and we received sad news late today that we have lost a member of our family. long-time viewers of "nbc nightly news" will instantly recognize tom aspell, a veteran foreign correspondent for nbc news. tom died yesterday after a two-year-long battle with lung cancer.

starting as a cameraman back in 1971, later as a correspondent, tom covered it all, bosnia, chechnya, baghdad. he covered the fall of saigon, the fall of saddam, even the fall of the shah. when he wasn't displaying an intense brand of cool under fire, he loved his home on cyprus, loved being out on the water on his sailboat. he was a native new zealander, at home anywhere in the world really. and in that sense, a classic foreign correspondent. he leaves behind his wife and two sons. tom aspell, a 28-year nbc veteran, was 62 years old. when we come back, the touching love letters of a hard-charging future president showing a softer side we haven't seen till now. ven't seen till now. today, jason is hereunce] to volunteer to help those in need. when a twinge of back pain surprises him. morning starts in high spirits, but there's a growing pain in his lower back. as lines grow longer, his pain continues to linger.

but after a long day of helping others, he gets some helpful advice. just two aleve have the strength to keep back pain away all day. today, jason chose aleve. just two pills for all day pain relief. try aleve d for strong, all day long sinus and headache relief. the battle of bataan, 1942. [ all ] fort benning, georgia, in 1999. [ male announcer ] usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation because it offers a superior level of protection and because usaa's commitment to serve the military, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto-insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve. prego?! but i've bought ragu for years. [ thinking ] wonder what other questionable choices i've made? i choose date number 2! whooo! [ sigh of relief ] [ male announcer ] choose taste. choose prego.

with thermacare heatwraps. thermacare works differently. it's the only wrap with patented heat cells that penetrate deep to relax, soothe, and unlock tight muscles. for up to 16 hours of relief, try thermacare. to relax, soothe, and unlock tight muscles. nexi um, to relax, soothe, and unlock tight muscles. the helps provide many with day and night relief of heartburn symptoms caused by acid reflux disease. there is risk of bone fracture, and low magnesium levels. side effects may include headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

call your doctor right away if you have persistent diarrhea. other serious stomach conditions may exist. don't take nexium if you take clopidogrel. ask your doctor if nexium is right for you. find out how you may be able to get nexium for just $18 a month at purplepill.com finally tonight, from washington, the johnson presidential library in austin will tomorrow release the early love finally tonight, from washington, the johnson presidential library in austin will tomorrow release the early love letters between a young lyndon and a young lady bird. he proposed soon after meeting her. and while we know him as a man used to getting his way, we may now get to know him as a great romantic as well. in the run-up to valentine's day, the museum gave nightly

news the first access to these letters. we, in turn, asked the johnson grandchildren to read both parts aloud. here are katherine robb and lyndon nugent. >> september 23, 1934. "i could read and reread a letter from you which contained just one central idea. i want to hear you say over and over again that i love you." if all you know of lbj is what you see on the history channel or read in books, it would not occur to you that he was really a very loving, sensitive person who had fallen in love and was wooing the woman he wanted to marry. "for a long time, i've played with fire and haven't even been scorched, but every man sooner or later meets his waterloo." >> i have to say, when i was reading through them, i just found myself smiling a lot. and i was laughing a few times, because, again, it was just sort of the -- you know, they were very heartfelt emotions. october 6, 1934. "i wish you were here this

minute because i feel silly and gay and i want to ruffle up your hair and kiss you and say silly things." and that's one that makes me smile. >> it's kind of tough to remember that they weren't always the people that the country came to know them as being. they were just two regular people trying to figure out what life was all about. i don't think he had perfected that johnson treatment yet, and so i think he was really trying to figure out, have i pushed too hard? "tell me soon, dear, just how you know you do feel. i don't want to go on this way. do you? will you tell me?" >> he's impatient. he wants -- he doesn't understand why the second date wasn't an appropriate time to propose. she's sort of the calm in the storm saying let's just slow down a little bit. "must you have all or nothing? i love you more than anyone, but we must wait until we know each other better, until there isn't any doubt." >> quite frankly, it's very enjoyable to think about the -- how that happened back then. >> it's less likely we will have

this for future generations, that will have these beautiful long letters where people are really sort of expressing themselves. >> "give me lots of letters next week. i'm going to need them. mix some 'i love you' in the lines and not between them. adios until tomorrow, lyndon." >> our thanks to lyndon nugent and katherine robb,